You Haven't Failed
by KoopalingFan
Summary: Still thinking about Maria's death, Shadow the Hedgehog is blaming himself for the cause. Now, he is starting to question himself on why he is still living in the first place when he could just end it all. What he needs is a talk from Mobius's favorite hero before he makes a mistake.


You Haven't Failed

**Yet, another Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction. I'm really starting to write stories for this archive now, huh? Anyways, before anyone asks, this story is NOT going to have any yaoi/romance! I hate yaoi, and I'd rather not write romance. It is just going to be a friendship & hurt/comfort fanfic about Sonic and Shadow. That's it.**

**With that aside, enjoy!**

**~KF**

* * *

"Hmph..."

That was the first sound Shadow the Hedgehog made ever since he sat down on a hill, watching people in Station Square either doing errands, conversing with each other, or driving.

Though, the reason why he was up on the hill in the first place was for a completely different reason. He needed to clear his mind about something. And now he was beginning to think of a decision that will affect his current status on Mobius.

Commit suicide.

So it was quite obvious that the Ultimate-Lifeform was not in the best of moods. The end of his recent adventure was just two weeks ago. And during that time, he spend all of those days by himself mostly. If he wasn't by himself, then he would be with Rouge the Bat. He wouldn't mind if she was his company. But other than that, if it wasn't her, the hedgehog would often quickly head somewhere else whenever he sense someone coming near him.

If he was not in a depressed mood during that time, he wouldn't have mind their company. He looked to his feet with a rather guilty look upon his face.

_"Maria, I'm sorry... I failed you..." _He said in his mind.

"Why so down, Shads?" A familiar voice said beside him, causing to literally jump up in surprise. What was beside him was Mobius's main hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. "...Sonic, how long have you been here?"

The fifteen year old shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe ten seconds..."

The shocking expression that was on Shadow's face was quickly replaced by anger. "Well, you scared the living daylights out of me! _Never _do that again!" He pointed directly at his face.

"Okay, okay!" Sonic said, waving his hands out in front of him. "Sorry..."

Shadow only turned his head away from him with his eyes closed. "Just go away..."

It was at that moment when Sonic knew that Shadow was not in the best of moods. "Is something bugging you?"

"No. Leave me alone." He commanded him to leave once again.

Though Sonic, being the concerned guy he is, chose to stay put. "I don't think so. I definitely don't think you're okay... As a matter of fact, I know you're not okay..."

If his eyes were open at that moment, Shadow would have rolled him. _"How stupid is this guy? He just won't leave, will he? I guess I'm gonna have to get rid of him the hard way..."_

"C'mon, Shadow. Spill the beans and tell me what's wrong..." Sonic told him, attempting to place his right hand on the other hedgehog's shoulder.

"What's wrong is that you're interrupting my silence!" Shadow snapped at him, raising his voice and using his index finger to point at the cobalt hero. "Would you please get out of here before I Chaos Blast you!"

Sonic only paid attention to the words 'Chaos Blast', rather than the words that were telling him to leave Shadow alone. "Well, you aren't in your dark form. So basically, you cannot Chaos Blast me." He said with a smirk on his face.

Groaning was the next reaction made by the Ultimate-Lifeform. _"What part of 'leave me alone' does he not get? Is he **trying** __to annoy me?"_

"Anyways, would you like to talk about it?" Sonic asked him, going back to his serious mood. "It'll help you if you do."

"I don't need help from anyone or anything." Shadow almost immediately answered. "Just leave me be, and nobody gets hurt."

"Well, you are feeling a bit _hurt _by something." Sonic chuckled slightly at his pun. But then almost instantly stopped when he knew that it wasn't a good one. "So anyways, are you going to tell me or what?"

"I'm telling you that you are ruining my train of thought!" Shadow shouted at him once again, clenching both of his fists. "You are going to leave me alone so I can get back to thinking! Get your annoying self away from me!"

"...Dang, man... You sound really upset..." Sonic said with a hint of concern in his voice. "Is it that bad?"

Shadow, realizing that this was not going to work, sighed in defeat. "Fine." He said, "I give up! You win! You have five minutes!"

"Alright, then..." Sonic said, looking at the other hedgehog sitting down again. So he sat down as well. "What's been bugging you lately? I've noticed you avoiding us right before we get a chance to see you. ...Well, except for Rouge..."

Shadow felt so bad about his predicament, he didn't even wanted to talk about it. But he had to. Besides, Sonic told him that it will make him feel better. "I've promised Maria that I would always protect her no matter what... but I didn't..."

Now Sonic understood exactly why Shadow was so upset. He was still blaming himself for Maria's death. "...You're still on that, huh?..." He felt extremely bad for him. "I don't blame you... I totally understand how you feel... I mean, I know that I have no connection, nor I have never seen her before, but I can picture it if I were you and Maria was Tails. And if it was Tails, I would definitely feel the same way you're feeling right now... But it doesn't mean that your whole life is over..."

Shadow glared at Sonic, yet again. "Well, come to think of it, it is! I have no other reason to live in this world! So, I am thinking that I should end things off here! I am not wanted on this planet!"

Sonic couldn't believe his ears. He didn't know that Shadow was _that _upset about Maria's death. Heck, he never even thought he felt that way. It was then when he realized that if he never found Shadow sitting on top of the hill, he would have been gone by now.

"My reason to live is gone!" Shadow continued to talk. "And therefore, I have no business being on this world at this very moment! I have failed to protect Maria, and I do not see why I need to be here!"

"Shadow..." Was all that Sonic said to him in return before a pause occurred. _"Man... I have never thought of that... No wonder he is so down about it... He shouldn't feel this way, but then again, I don't blame him... He could really use some friends to help him..." _After that thought was over, the cobalt hedgehog resumed to speak. "Just because your upset over Maria's death doesn't mean your life is completely over..." He said to the ebony hedgehog. "It's like having a temper tantrum only because you lost a foot race... It's not _your _fault that she's dead..."

"Yes it is!" Shadow yelled at the main hero of Mobius. "If only I was more cautious, then her death wouldn't have happened! Or, she wouldn't have died if it weren't my creation! I should have never been brought to this world in the first place! All would have been good!"

"...You weren't created for nothing, you know..." Sonic said in response.

Shadow stared away from him and ahead of himself. "Rouge said the same thing to me..." He mumbled.

But Sonic was able to pick up those words. "...She did? ...Wow, Shadow... I never knew that you two were that close... Not in a certain way..."

"Of course we don't like each other that way..." Shadow slowly nodded his head in reply. "She is like a sister to me..."

"Oh..." It was Sonic's turn to nod. "What a coincidence. I feel the same way about Tails and Knuckles. They are like my younger and older brothers to me... Is that the reason why you always allow Rouge to be in your company?"

Still turned around from him, Shadow replied with a nod.

"Now what was I saying..." Sonic mumbled, trying to recall what he was telling Shadow a few moments ago. "Oh, yeah." He remembered, "You weren't created for nothing, Shadow. Just like everyone is born for at least one reason."

"Okay, then." Shadow finally turned his head back to Sonic. "What is my reason to live, then, other than having to 'take over the world' or something?" His voice tried to sound more like Dr. Robotnik's at the words, 'take over the world'.

"To live your life to the fullest..." Sonic replied, making Shadow speechless. It made Sonic choose to continue. "We all might be puzzled sometimes as to why we're living today. And today is your turn to ask. You just did. You are currently living today just so that you can enjoy life until the very end. But you know what, if you commit suicide, you are only interrupting your own life... forever..."

"... ... ...R-... ...Really?" The ebony hedgehog did not know what else to say to the cobalt one.

He nodded in answer to his question. "And I have already told Knuckles once... But I'm just surprised that I didn't need to tell Omega this, and he's a robot..."

"Hmph..." Shadow looked away again, but instead directly in front of him, he turned to the other side.

"By the way, to me, you haven't failed. Everybody, including us, should succeed in enjoying their lives. And you don't have to live your life to the fullest alone..." Sonic added, now forming a smile on his face. He lifted his hand to place on Shadow's shoulder again. Only this time, he was successful. "Your friends can join you."

"..." After just sitting there in silence for at least ten seconds, Shadow slowly formed a smile on his face as well.

But what Sonic didn't expect was a hug from the ebony hedgehog. He slightly gasped, hugging him back afterwards.

"T-... Thanks..." Shadow said to the younger male, breaking the hug.

"No problem." Sonic slowly nodded, getting up to his feet, Shadow doing the same subsequently. "Now, come on! Let's go see Tails! I'll race you!"

Dashing off was his next option. Shadow on the other hand, kept his smile on his face as he got into a running position. "Heh, not that you'll actually win..."

Like Sonic, he dashed off also, trying to catch up to his new friend.

* * *

**So, how was that? Do you think these two are gonna get along great? Do you know anyone who needs to have a talk with Sonic?**

**Feel free to read and review my other Sonic stories!**


End file.
